About

Creatives Meet Business (CMB) is a community for creatives of all walks to come together and learn from the business world so that they can have sustainability in their careers. While we know that monikers like “creative” and “artist” are already part of a creative’s portfolio, CMB helps add a few new titles to their resumé such as, “small business owner” and “entrepreneur.”

So what is CMB you ask? We’re an event and podcast series that helps empower Austin’s creative sector by connecting them with the various businesses who support them. At each event, we gather five professionals from a highlighted field for five roundtable discussions to share principles and practices from their industry.

CMB was founded by Ashland Viscosi, a unicorn of sorts, as she was actually born in Austin, Texas. Ashland has a background in film and production and works with several arts-based organizations in Austin. A proud graduate of the Leadership Austin Emerge program, she loves being a part of the Austin creative community. Her favorite things are people, conversations, cheese plates and brunch.

Goal Planning

WE CREATE PERSONALIZED GOAL PLANS.

Through in-person or virtual meetings, we’ll help you set action to your intentions by developing a personalized goal plan. We’ll ask the tough questions when we meet and then report back to you with an action plan broken out into small, digestible bites.

Name

Hello and welcome! We're looking forward to planning, but first things first, help us learn more about you!

Email Address

Phone Number

Tell Us More

We know that we'll be talking about this soon (and we're excited), but could you give us a taste of what you're wanting help tackling?

When Are You Available?

You'll receive a separate email about scheduling but let us know your preference for meetings.

Morning (9:00 to 10:30)Lunch (11:00 to 1:00)Afternoon (1:00 to 4:30)Evening (5:00 to 7:30)

CMBXP

READY FOR THREE DAYS OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
THAT FEELS LIKE SUMMER CAMP?

Did you know we produce the annual Creatives Meet Business Experience (CMBXP)? Know what it is? CMBXP is more than a conference, it’s a community for artists, creatives, and the creative-minded. It features over 50 hands-on workshops on Artistry and Skills Development, Business, Marketing, and Storytelling, one-on-one mentorships with industry experts on a variety of topics, and nightly themed happy hours. CMBXP 2019 is taking place September 19-21 in Austin, Texas.

Podcast

Our podcast series helps empower members of the creative community through insights and tips about the business-side of being a creative -- in digestible bites. We cover a variety of topics to give you the business savvy you need to start or sustain your creative venture. Podcast available on iTunes and Stitcher.

Managing (Professional) Relationships

April 25th, 2017

Managing (Professional) RelationshipsApril 25th, 2017

This event was awesome! We welcomed phenomenal attendees and six (6) Professional Relationship pros to Google Fiber on 4/25/17. Conversations ranged from designing professional relationships to setting boundaries and saying no to walking away from a professional relationship (gracefully). Wish you could have been there? Good news, you still can be (in a way). All of the conversations were recorded and will be released as podcast episodes on iTunes and Stitcher (subscribe so you don't miss any!)

If you're new to who we are, you should know that it’s our mission at Creatives Meet Business to provide a valuable and meaningful service to creatives across all disciplines by helping them understand the business side of the industry and become more sustainable in their endeavors.

The Managing (Professional) Relationships edition, hosted by The Creative Executive, held on 4/25/17, featured roundtable discussions with:

Ashley Kegley-Whitehead, Buie & Co. // This Would be Better if I Had a Business Partner, Wait, Would it…?

Digital Marketing Edition

February 21, 2017

Digital Marketing EditionFebruary 21, 2017

We welcomed a great crew of creatives from all walks along with six (6) Digital Marketing pros to Waller Ballroom on 2/21/17. Conversations ranged from managing your online reputation to blogging for SEO to understanding which analytics are actually applicable and why (and so much more). Wish you could have been there? Good news, you still can be (in a way). All of the conversations were recorded and will be released as podcast episodes on iTunes and Stitcher (subscribe so you don't miss any!)

If you're new to who we are, you should know that it’s our mission at Creatives Meet Business to provide a valuable and meaningful service to creatives across all disciplines by helping them understand the business side of the industry and become more sustainable in their endeavors.

The Digital Marketing edition, hosted by Best Practice Media, held on 2/21/17, featured roundtable discussions with:

PR Edition

December 6th, 2016

PR EditionDecember 6th, 2016

We welcomed a great crew of creatives from all walks along with five (5) PR pros and a journalist to Spredfast on 12/6/16. Conversations ranged from finding your media home, to what makes a PR story compelling, all the way to influencer marketing and much more. Wish you could have been there? Good news, you still can be (in a way). All of the conversations were recorded and will be released as podcast episodes on iTunes and Stitcher (subscribe so you don't miss any!)

If you're new to who we are, you should know that it’s our mission at Creatives Meet Business to provide a valuable and meaningful service to creatives across all disciplines by helping them understand the business side of the industry and become more sustainable in their endeavors.

The PR edition, hosted by lookthinkmake, held on 12/6/16, featured roundtable discussions with:

David Wyatt, Wyatt Brand // "It’s Not Just an Event - It’s Part of My PR Strategy"

Website Edition

October 18th, 2016

Website EditionOctober 18th, 2016

We welcomed a great crew of creatives from all walks along with six (6) Website pros at Atlassian on 10/18/16. These pros dropped some insane knowledge with topics ranging from picking the right platform to not overloading your audience with images. This event was perfectly suited for anyone who is...A) building their first website, B) wanting to maximize the potential of their website, or C) considering overhauling their site and starting anew. Does this apply to you and now you're thinking "dang, I wish I could have been there?" Good news, you still can be! All of the conversations were recorded and will be released as podcast episodes on iTunes and Stitcher (subscribe so you don't miss any!)

If you're new to who we are, you should know that it’s our mission at Creatives Meet Business to provide a valuable and meaningful service to creatives across all disciplines by helping them understand the business side of the industry and become more sustainable in their endeavors.

The Website edition, hosted by General Assembly, held on 10/18/16, featured roundtable discussions with:

Julia Villarreal, SpaceCraft // "Map it out: the Ins and Outs of Site Mapping (aka How to Build Your Site So It Grows With You, Not Against You)"

Taxes & Accounting Edition

August 16, 2016

Taxes & Accounting EditionAugust 16, 2016

We welcomed a great crew of creatives from all walks along with six (6) Tax & Accounting pros at Dropbox Austin on 8/16/16. We're fairly certain that we unraveled the great mystery surrounding taxes and accounting. Wish you could have been part of the great unraveling? No worries! Check out the podcast, available on iTunes and Stitcher. This edition was NOT live recorded, but we have something most excellent (and on topic) in store for you.

It’s our mission at Creatives Meet Business to provide a valuable and meaningful service to creatives across all disciplines by helping them understand the business side of the industry and become more sustainable in their endeavors (and connect with fellow creatives along the way!).

Creating order out of chaos – what information, at a minimum, do I need to give my CPA at year-end?

Social Media Edition

June 28, 2016

Social Media EditionJune 28, 2016

We welcomed a great crew of creatives from all walks along with 6 Social Media Experts at Vuka on 6/28/16. Each expert solved some of life's great (social media) questions. So sad you missed it? No worries! Check out the podcast, available on iTunes and Stitcher. If you prefer to catch-up visually, read Social Distillery's recap.

It’s our mission at Creatives Meet Business to provide a valuable and meaningful service to creatives across all disciplines by helping them understand the business side of the industry and become more sustainable in their endeavors.

The Social Media edition, hosted by Social Distillery, held on 6/28/16, featured roundtable discussions with:

Financial Planning Edition

April 12, 2016

Financial Planning EditionApril 12, 2016

We welcomed a great crew of creatives from all walks along with 6 Financial Planners at WeWork Congress on 4/12/16. Each planner shared tips about making budgets you can stick to, tax and retirement planning and how to prepare yourself for tackling your next creative venture (and more). Wish you could have been there? We’ll have the podcast up and running in no time…

It’s our mission at Creatives Meet Business to provide a valuable and meaningful service to creatives across all disciplines by helping them understand the business side of the industry and become more sustainable in their endeavors.

The Financial Planners edition, hosted by The Art of Finance, LLC, held on 4/12/16, featured roundtable discussions with:

Branding

June 20th, 2017

BrandingJune 20th, 2017

This event was awesome! We welcomed phenomenal attendees and six (6) Branding pros to T3 on 6/20/17. Conversations ranged from personal branding to designing for sales to standing out in a crowded market. Wish you could have been there? Good news, you still can be (in a way). The conversations were recorded and will be released as podcast episodes on iTunes and Stitcher (subscribe so you don't miss any!)

If you're new to who we are, you should know that it’s our mission at Creatives Meet Business to provide a valuable and meaningful service to creatives across all disciplines by helping them understand the business side of the industry and become more sustainable in their endeavors.

The Branding edition, hosted by T3, held on 6/20/17, featured roundtable discussions with:

James Lanyon, T3 // Designing for Sales: How to Make My Service Jump Off the Page (and Into the Wallets of Others)

Fundraising Edition

August 15, 2017

Fundraising EditionAugust 15, 2017

This event was awesome! We welcomed phenomenal attendees and six (6) Fundraising pros to uShip on 8/15/17. Conversations ranged from owning your mission statement to prospecting to crowdfunding campaigns to thought leadership. Wish you could have been there? Good news, you still can be (in a way). The conversations were recorded and will be released as podcast episodes on iTunes and Stitcher (subscribe so you don't miss any!)

If you're new to who we are, you should know that it’s our mission at Creatives Meet Business to provide a valuable and meaningful service to creatives across all disciplines by helping them understand the business side of the industry and become more sustainable in their endeavors.

The Fundraising edition, hosted by Sally Blue, held on 8/15/17, featured roundtable discussions with:

Bootstrap Edition

11/14/17

Bootstrap Edition11/14/17

We welcomed phenomenal attendees and five (5) Bootstrapping pros to Atmosphere Coworking on 11/14/17. Conversations covered all five (5) stages of the Bootstrap Entrepreneurship Process: You, Question, Ideation, Valley of Death, and Growth. Wish you could have been there? Good news, you still can be (in a way). The conversations were recorded and transformed into podcast episodes. They're available on Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher and anywhere you go to listen to podcasts. Subscribe so you don't miss any!

If you're new to who we are, you should know that it’s our mission at Creatives Meet Business to provide a valuable and meaningful service to creatives across all disciplines by helping them understand the business side of the industry and become more sustainable in their endeavors.

The Bootstrap edition, hosted by Bootstrap Austin, held on 11/14/17, featured roundtable discussions with:

Attention Management Edition

October 2, 2018

Attention Management EditionOctober 2, 2018

We welcomed phenomenal attendees and five (5) Productivity pros to Red Velvet Events on 10/2/18. Conversations ranged from managing your attention and not time to uncovering the truth behind multi-tasking to creating structure and facilitating change that sticks (and SO much more!). Wish you could have been there? Good news, you still can be (in a way). The conversations were recorded and are transformed into podcast episodes available on Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher (and anywhere you go to listen to podcasts!). Search for "Creatives Meet Business Podcast" on your favorite podcast listening platform then subscribe so you don't miss any future episodes!

If you're new to who we are, you should know that it’s our mission at Creatives Meet Business to provide a valuable and meaningful service to creatives across all disciplines by helping them understand the business side of the industry and become more sustainable in their endeavors.

The Attention Management edition, hosted by Maura Nevel Thomas, held on 10/2/18, featured roundtable discussions with:

Event Planning Edition

June 26, 2018

Event Planning EditionJune 26, 2018

We welcomed phenomenal attendees and five (5) Event Planning pros to The Refinery on 6/26/18. Conversations ranged from structuring a successful event to sponsorships to event marketing (and SO much more!). Wish you could have been there? Good news, you still can be (in a way). The conversations were recorded and are transformed into podcast episodes available on Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher (and anywhere you go to listen to podcasts!). Search for "Creatives Meet Business Podcast" on your favorite podcast listening platform then subscribe so you don't miss any future episodes!

If you're new to who we are, you should know that it’s our mission at Creatives Meet Business to provide a valuable and meaningful service to creatives across all disciplines by helping them understand the business side of the industry and become more sustainable in their endeavors.

The Event Planning edition, hosted by The Refinery, held on 6/26/18, featured roundtable discussions with:

Sarah Lo, Red Velvet Events // Teams, Tension, and Trial and Error; AKA, The Art of Working with Others When the Stakes are High

Sarah K. Wolf, The Austin Chronicle // Event Marketing: If You Build It, Will They Come?

Photos by David Brendan Hall Photography

Telling Your Brand Story Edition

April 24, 2018

Telling Your Brand Story EditionApril 24, 2018

We welcomed phenomenal attendees and five (5) Brand Story pros to Galvanize on 4/24/18. Conversations ranged from understanding voice and tone to perfecting your elevator pitch. Wish you could have been there? Good news, you still can be (in a way). The conversations were recorded and are transformed into podcast episodes available on Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher (and anywhere you go to listen to podcasts!). Search for "Creatives Meet Business Podcast" on your favorite podcast listening platform then subscribe so you don't miss any future episodes!

If you're new to who we are, you should know that it’s our mission at Creatives Meet Business to provide a valuable and meaningful service to creatives across all disciplines by helping them understand the business side of the industry and become more sustainable in their endeavors.

The Telling Your Brand Story edition, hosted by Greenleaf Book Group, held on 4/24/18, featured roundtable discussions with:

AprilJo Murphy, Greenleaf Book Group // Understanding Voice and Tone: How You Tell It Matters

Scott Andrew James, ScottAndrewJames.com // 5 Second Storytelling and the Art of the “Elevator Pitch"

Nate Stine, lookthinkmake // Storytelling Vehicles: aka The Way You Tell It

Lyn Graft, Storytelling for Entrepreneurs // What IS Your Story...

Photos by Ashlee Newman Photography

Goal Planning Edition

February 20, 2018

Goal Planning EditionFebruary 20, 2018

We welcomed phenomenal attendees and five (5) Goal Planning pros to Condé Nast on 2/20/18. Conversations ranged from separating business and personal goals to self care to financial goal planning to productivity hacks. Wish you could have been there? Good news, you still can be (in a way). The conversations were recorded and are transformed into podcast episodes available on Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher (and anywhere you go to listen to podcasts!). Search for "Creatives Meet Business Podcast" on your favorite podcast listening platform then subscribe so you don't miss any future episodes!

If you're new to who we are, you should know that it’s our mission at Creatives Meet Business to provide a valuable and meaningful service to creatives across all disciplines by helping them understand the business side of the industry and become more sustainable in their endeavors.

The Goal Planning edition, hosted by The Paper + Craft Pantry, held on 2/20/18, featured roundtable discussions with: